Training

TECHMATION provides PROCESS CONTROL TRAININGdesigned to bridge the gap between theory and practice

TECHMATION offers on or off-site to best suit our customers needs. We have found that process plants around the world are feeling competitive pressures with escalating demand for lower cost, higher quality products at reasonable profit margins. Obtaining and maintaining optimum performance of the plant control system can make a measurable difference in plant operations and bottom line profits. Techmation training and education can contribute to this management strategy.

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Optimum performance can make a measurable difference in plant operations and bottom line profits.

Typically most process control training courses fall into three categories. That is, the application of general rules of thumb that are too simplistic for use in optimizing real world control systems, control theory courses that teach process control from a theoretical and mathematical standpoint with little direct application, and control system vendor schools that stress the operation of the control system.

Training by Objective

For each course offered, general and specific objectives are established. Each objective is addressed to ensure that the student gains the required knowledge and proficiency to to transfer the skills learned to real world process problems.

Performance Based Training

Hands-on training in both courses allow each student to apply the new skills in an off-line, no risk environment, by solving and implementing solutions to simple and complex control problems.

Benefits of Techmation training courses to your plant

	Improve the regulatory control of your process
	Increase product quality
	Save raw materials

	Reduce trouble shooting and down time
	Lower pollution
	Save energy
	Enhance bottom line profits

Course 1

Proper Protuner application to troubleshoot and optimize on-line control systems and gain a better understanding of process control.

Course 1 stresses the optimization of existing plant systems providing for a full day of on-line application of the skills learned.

	Four Day Program
	Classroom Lecture and Lab
	Analysis of Field Test Data
	Dynamic Simulation
	In-Plant Application

Who should attend

This course is for Maintenance Technicians, Control Engineers, and other persons responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plant control system.

Topics

	Defining the process
	Final control elements
	Operational Characteristics
	PID controllers
	Process dynamics
	Protuner operation
	Test procedures to identify control problems such as: Signal Noise, Stiction, Deadband, Linearity, Equipment Sizing
	Loop analysis
	Control system optimization
	Cascade control
	Field application of the Protuner on live loops in your plant

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

	Determine the testing sequence to optimize each loop in a control system.
	Connect and setup the Protuner
	Perform control loop analysis tests to troubleshoot and tune feedback control systems for optimum closed loop performance
	Understand the test techniques to optimize advanced control strategies such as: feedforward, ratio, blending, cascade, adaptive gain.

Course 2

Concepts of multi-loop control and the techniques to successfully optimize control loop operation.

Course 2 stresses the design and optimization of advanced control strategies using existing control algorithms.

	Three Day Program
	Classroom Lecture and Lab
	Implement Feedforward Dynamic Compensators
	Implement Cascade and Multiple Feedforward Dynamic Compensators
	Optimize the Operation of Dynamically Coupled Interactive Processes

Who should attend

This course is for Project, Process Control, Instrument, and System Engineers who wish to increase their knowledge of the more complex applications of process control.

Topics

	Control system objectives
	Testing procedures to optimize advanced control strategies
	Loop analysis
	Block diagram modeling
	Operation of Protuner Simulator
	Feedback and Feedforward control
	Interactive control
	Decoupling strategies
	Relative gain Array
	Statistical analysis
	Spectral analysis
	Workbook

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

	Use Frequency Plots to model the process for simulation and design alternate controller tuning parameters
	Implement feedforward dynamic compensators to reduce the effects of load disturbances by an order of magnitude on the controlled variable
	See the effects of dynamics on the design and implementation of cascade and multiple feedforward dynamic compensators
	Spectral analysis and statistical techniques to understand magnitude, frequency and controllability of load disturbances

What some of our attendees have to say.....

Great Class! Time well spent. Bethlehem Steel	Excellent all around. Kimberly Clark	Class was excellent 3M Company
Very good course. It gave me the details needed to do a better job at tuning our loops. Cabot Corporation	This should be a most sought after course to benefit American industry. Tennessee Eastman	The best I have had since I studied. Abitibi Price
This is without question, the best course on process control I have attended. Best course of this type that I have seen. Holston Defense	Of all the classes and schools I have attended this is the best that I have had. Stone Container	Best and most relevant course we have sponsored so far. Daishowa Canada
I think it was one of the best classes I have attended, I learned a lot. Cargill Incorporated	This course has to be the best of all the courses I have taken in my career. The Control Company	Course was excellent. Probably the most informative class I have taken. Monsanto
A must for skeptical engineers. This is one of the best classes I have attended. Keep up the good work. Honeywell	One of the better courses that I have attended. Mead Paper	Excellent. Hoechst Celanese

Having endured the university electrical engineering program, taking all of the offered control course, and graduating honors with distinction, I felt that I was well prepared for the real world's control problems. (You are allowed to be naive when you are young). The reality is that few real world problems lend themselves to theoretical analysis. As well, knowing the theory and applying the theory are two completely different things. After spending the last few years using my own version of the SWAG method, I have become quite successful (real "lucky") at optimizing control loops. I always got this nagging feeling, however, it could be just that much better if I had more information.

Then this Techmation course came along. Not only did it present the Protuner, which is a quantum step forward in control system analysis equipment, but it very nicely tied theory to the real world. In all honesty, it was the most refreshing and welcome course I have ever attended. The course is orientated at solving problems and uses numerous examples of real control problems and solutions to drive the lessons home. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who gets involved in the design, commissioning or maintenance of process control.

R.J. van Steenoven, PEng.
Instrumentation and Control Engineer
Edmonton Power